Weirdmageddon 2: The Sequel
by daleklover
Summary: Dipper and Mabel return to Gravity Falls when they're 18, the summer before college. Grunkle Stan and Great Uncle Ford have returned to Gravity Falls to see the kids and wish them luck. But Gravity Falls has not changed. And something sinister is afoot. Something is trying to bring Bill Cipher back. It's up to the Pines family to save the world...again.
1. Chapter 1

Mabel and Dipper were driving up to Gravity Falls in Dipper's very old but very reliable pickup truck. They had been taking turns driving so they wouldn't have to stop anywhere for the night. It was Dipper's turn to drive. Dipper had gotten much taller, now standing at 5'11. His hair was short and messy, hidden by Wendy's hat. His awkward limbs caught up to the rest of him but he was thin and his muscles were non-existent.

He glanced at the radio clock. It was 6 am. He grabbed an unopened can of Monster and opened it. The sound startled Waddles, who was sitting in the back of the truck with a sleeping Mabel. Waddles was getting on in years, about 7 years old but Mabel was taking good care of him. Dipper chuckled, remembering their parents' reaction to a pig in the house. To say they weren't pleased would be to put it mildly but after an hour long phone conversation with Grunkle Stan, they finally agreed.

According to the billboard Dipper just passed, Gravity Falls was just 20 more miles. It wouldn't be long now. He had kept in close contact with Great Uncle Ford, eventually agreeing to an apprenticeship of sorts. Every week during high school, Ford and Dipper would stay up late into the night, discussing Ford's newest discoveries. In Dipper's spare time, he worked on restoring the journals, keeping in contact with Wendy and Soos to gain the latest news on the strange happenings in Gravity Falls. And once in awhile, he would have horrible dreams of one-eyed triangles but he ignored them, only confiding in Mabel.

Waddles was nudging into Mabel's face, oinking in her face. She murmured in her sleep, trying to push him away. He licked her face and continued nudging. Mabel opened her eyes and smiled at her pig. Two years of braces had transformed her smile, with perfect straight teeth.

"Oh Waddles, you silly pig. We're not even there yet." Mabel laughed, smoothing out her sweater. She still made her own sweaters and this one had the Mystery Shack knitted on it. Her hair was long and still curled in random places but now she usually kept it up in a ponytail. She was just a half inch taller than Dipper, a point she enjoyed rubbing in Dipper's face.

"Au contraire sister. We're less than 20 minutes away." Dipper said. Mabel squealed in excitement, a sound too high pitched for the early morning.

"Drive faster Dipper! Push that pedal to the metal!" Mabel cheered, finally sitting up in her seat.

"I'm already pushing the speed limit Mabel. We'll be their soon enough." Dipper laughed. Mabel pulled out her phone, already texting everyone to alert them to the arrival of the Pines twins.

Stan Pines was already up, getting ready for the arrival of the kids. Soos was more than happy to let Ford and Stan move back into Mystery Shack. Stan finished getting ready and looked at his phone. Mabel had persuaded him to get the phone, so she could talk to him while he was away. A text from Mabel flashed on the screen. He smiled to himself and went to find Ford. He looked in Ford's room but it was empty. So he went to the vending machine and punched in the code. When he got to the basement, he saw Ford, slumped over his desk, glasses askew and a book opened. Stan gave him a slap on the back and Ford just about jumped out of his skin.

"What? What? Who goes there? Show yourself- oh hi Stan." Ford said, adjusting his glasses. He winced in pain from the slap. "Aren't we getting too old for you to be slapping me awake?"

"Aren't you getting too old for your nerd stuff? The kids are almost here." Stan said, showing his phone. Ford took off his glasses and squinted at the screen.

"Fantastic! What are we doing down here? Get upstairs you old man." Ford said, leading the way to the elevator.

"Says the guy who slept in the basement." Stan quipped, pushing the button.

"Discogirl! Coming through! That girl is you! OH OH OH!" The stereo blasted, the twins singing along. Dipper drove faster, speeding by the Welcome to Gravity Falls sign. Suddenly, sirens blared behind them. Groaning, the pair pulled over and turned off the music.

"What can I do for you officer-Blubs?" Dipper said, looking at the old black cop.

"Dipper? Is that you? Geez you got tall kid. Durland, come here baby, it's the Pines Twins!" Blubs said, beckoning Durland over. The tall, lanky cop came over and stared at the kids.

"Hey guys!" Mabel said, rolling down her window.

"Ooo-whee! Mabel and Dipper are back in town! It's been how many years now?" Durland asked.

"Too many that's how many." Mabel replied.

"You know, I was gonna give y'all a ticket for driving so fast but I'm not about to do that to the town heroes. We'll never forget what you've done for us and this town." Blubs said, holding onto Durland's hand. Mabel saw two rings.

"Oh. My. Gosh. Did you guys get married?" Mabel squealed.

"It's our five year anniversary tomorrow." Blubs said, looking at Durland.

"Congrats you guys." Dipper smiled at them.

"I'll let you kids get going. Stan and Ford have been waiting for you. They're very excited about you guys coming back for the summer. Have a good rest of your day." Blubs said.

"Thanks. You too." Dipper said, driving off.

Stan and Ford waited anxiously on the porch. It's been 6 years since they last saw the kids in person. An old, beat up red truck pulled up. Mabel jumped out of the car and ran to her great uncles.

"Grunkle Stan! Great Uncle Ford!" she yelled as she hugged them.

"Hey there kiddo!" Stan said, hugging back. Ford broke away from the hug to go up to the truck. Dipper was leaning on the truck, waiting for his turn to greet his great uncles.

"Dipper my boy, how you been? How are the journals coming along?" Ford asked. Dipper's eyes lit up.

"I've been great! The journals are nearly done. I've been writing as much as I can remember but it's good to be back here, so I can properly finish them. I have so much to tell you." Dipper said, talking rather quickly. Ford smiled at his great nephew.

"Hey nerds! Let's go get breakfast at the Greasy Diner." Stan says.

"But I've got so much to tell Great Uncle Ford. Like about-" Dipper's words were interrupted by a grumble from his belly.

"Uh-oh, somebody's tummy is upsetty." Mabel teased, running up to Dipper and tickling his belly. Dipper burst out into laughter and leaned on the back of the truck as Mabel's fingers waged war on his stomach.

"Mabel, Mabel stop!" Dipper laughed.

"Say you'll eat breakfast." Mabel smirked.

"Alright alright! Just stop!" Dipper laughed again. Mabel stopped and let Dipper catch his breath.

"Glad to see literally nothing has changed." Stan smiled. He waved his car keys and led the group to the car.


	2. Chapter 2

The Pines family takes a seat in the booth, kids on one side and great uncles on the other. "Welcome back to town kids! What can I get you?" Lazy Susan said, looking at the kids.

"Four plates of your finest pancakes." Stan said. The kids and Ford look at him in astonishment. "Don't get used to this guys. It's just for today." He grumbles.

"Thanks Grunkle Stan!" Mabel said, a large smile on her face.

"So Dipper, what was it you wanted to tell me?" Ford said.

"I'm going to be joining the freshman class at West Coast Tech this fall. You are looking at a future astrophysicist." Dipper said, puffing up with pride. Mabel snorted in trying to contain her laughter. Dipper blushed a little and looked at Ford.

"Dipper, I'm so proud of you. You'll do great things there." He smiled at him.

"That's some great news kiddo. What about you Mabel? You going to school?" Stan asked.

"Uh duh! I'm going to University of Oregon. I'm gonna be a kindergarten teacher." She grinned. She heard a familiar laugh behind her and groaned.

"Why hello there Mabel! How are you doing you little peach? My how you've changed!" Gideon asked, standing behind their booth. Six years had changed him. His white hair was slicked back now and he wore normal clothes. His voice was a little deeper now though.

"I'm not a peach Gideon. And I'm still not interested." Mabel said, looking out the window.

"Don't you have anything better to do you little creep?" Dipper said, glaring at Gideon.

"I feel like I'm missing something here." Ford said.

"Oh, Mabel's my little peach." Gideon said.

"Again, not a peach or yours. It was like two dates you gremlin. Get over it. This," Mabel waved her hand to him and back to her, "This is never gonna happen."

"I thought you turned over a new leaf Gideon. That you were done with this weirdness" Dipper said.

"I did. I've done my best to be a good person and be worthy of loving. I've been doing this for you Mabel. I've never had another crush." Gideon said.

"Well I have and I have a boyfriend now so trust me, I'm not interested." Mabel glared at Gideon.

"What? Why? Did you forget about us?" Gideon asked, his face falling.

"Alright, I've heard enough. Get out of here Gideon." Dipper said, getting out of his seat. Stan also stood up and glared at the kid.

"Fine. But this isn't over Mabel. I'll win you over!" Gideon said, leaving the diner. Lazy Susan came over and gave them their food.

"You have a boyfriend? Since when?" Dipper asked Mabel.

"Since never. I was just hoping he'd give up." Mabel said, rolling her eyes.

"He's a persistent little jerk that one." Stan said, stuffing his face with pancakes.

"You're telling me! The amount of times I've had to delete accounts and block him is ridiculous." Mabel groaned.

"Forget about him. Besides, you have pancakes right here and aren't you seeing Grenda and Candy later?" Dipper said, nudging her. She lit up right away.

"You're right. I'm not letting him ruin this day for me!" With that, Mabel eagerly dug into her pancakes.

"Dipper, you wanna go to the forest today and investigate?" Ford asked.

"Um yeah! I've been waiting all year to do that." Dipper replied. Stan rolled his eyes and looked to Mabel, who nodded in agreement. They finished their meal and were soon on their way back to the shack.

When they returned to the shack, Wendy, Soos, Melody, Grenda, and Candy were waiting outside. Mabel jumped out of the car while it was still moving and ran to her friends.

"Hey, watch it kid!" Stan yelled after her.

Grenda had grown to the height of 6'2. Her frame was still large and muscular. She made Candy look like a child. Candy had not gotten much taller, standing at 5'4. She was petite and looked so fragile next to Grenda. But they were both grinning and running to Mabel.

"Mabel! We've missed you so much!" Grenda said in her deep, booming voice, crushing Mabel in a bear hug.

"I've missed you guys too. I have so much to tell you guys." Mabel smiled at them. She looked to Soos and Melody and noticed a bundle in Melody's arms.

"Oh my gosh! Is that a baby?" Mabel squealed.

"Yep! Mabel, meet Mabel." Melody said, showing her the baby.

"You named her after me?" Mabel squeaked, breathless.

"Yeah dude. You're basically family." Soos said.

"Dipper, get over here. I've got something for you." Wendy shouted. She didn't look very different. An inch taller but still very much the same. Dipper ran over to her from the car.

"I have something for you too. I believe this is yours?" Dipper said, handing her the old hat. Wendy grinned and stood on her tiptoes to slam his hat back onto his head.

"Geez squirt, get down to my height." Wendy teased.

"Who are you calling squirt you shrimp?" Dipper retorted, a smile on his face.

"Alright everyone, how about we move this little get together inside?" Stan suggested, unlocking the door. Everyone piled into the Shack. Ford walked in last, looking back outside. Two yellow eyes gleamed out from the forest. Shocked, Ford closed his eyes and opened them again. Nothing. He shrugged it off, thinking it was probably a gnome or some other creature. He closed the door behind him as he stepped into the house. And two yellow eyes stared at the closed door.


	3. Chapter 3

Things were winding down in the Shack. Grenda had left for a video chat with Marius and Candy went home for clarinet lessons. Wendy had headed home after receiving a call from her brothers that her dad had broken the ceiling, again. Soos and Melody had left when the baby started getting fussy. Dipper and Mabel were in the midst of moving their stuff to their room when Ford approach Dipper.

"Dipper, do you wanna grab your journals? We've still got a few hours of sunlight." Ford said.

"Yeah! Lemme grab them." Dipper said. He reached his arm into his truck's open window and grabbed an old blue backpack. He handed the backpack to Ford who started to inspect the journals.

"I'm impressed kid. You've remembered quite a bit huh?" He smirked.

"Yeah but now that I'm here I can actually finish them. So what are we looking for? Gremgoblins? Fairies? Manitaurs? Please not the gnomes." Dipper said, not stopping for a breath.

"No, not the gnomes kid. We're just going to walk around and reorient ourselves. It's been years since either of us have been in this forest." Ford said, leading him into the woods. Dipper followed behind eagerly, talking with his great uncle. Suddenly, Ford stopped walking and Dipper nearly ran into him. He was about to ask why they stopped but then saw what Ford was staring at.

Bill's statue, now covered in moss and weeds, sat in the middle of a sunny patch in the forest. Dipper shivered just looking at him. He was still plagued by nightmares and horrible visions of Weirdmageddon. He looked up to his uncle for reassurance. Ford looked down and gave Dipper a confident smile.

"Nothing to worry about Dipper. He's just made of stone now. He's gone forever." Ford said, patting Dipper's shoulder.

"I know but I'm still anxious. I've been having nightmares." Dipper said, looking at the ground.

"Nightmares? About Bill?" He asked.

"Yeah. Just him getting into my head, taunting me. Saying he'll take over my body again, talking about how he'll kill me. But mostly I'm just running, running as fast and as far as I can. But he always catches me. I wake up after that." He shrugged. His cheeks turned a little red. "Sorry for that man. You probably think I'm being ridiculous, scared of triangle."

"No Dipper, it's okay. You have every right to feel that after what Bill did to you, especially since you were so young. Fear of that triangle is completely rational." He said, putting his hands on his nephew's shoulders. "Just know that there is no way to bring him back. He's gone." Dipper nodded and the pair kept walking.

 _I wouldn't be so sure about what Ford says there Pine Tree. Don't forget my last words_. _MY TIME HAS COME TO BURN I INVOKE THE ANCIENT POWER THAT I MAY RETURN_

Dipper paused for a moment, looking back at the statue. Did he just hear what he think he heard? No, no way. Couldn't be. He heard his great uncle call for him and he ran off after him, focusing on mysterious footprints instead. Neither one noticed the statue blink.

A/N So this chapter is pretty short. Sorry for that. I've just finished my first year of college and it's summer now! I'll be working a lot but I hope to be able to update this somewhat frequently. Please leave reviews!


	4. Chapter 4

Ford and Dipper ran back into the house after dark to find Stan and Mabel watching a _Ducktective_ marathon. They bolted the door, looking at each other with wide eyes before bursting out into fits of laughter.

"Can it poindexters! Trying to watch TV." Stan grumbled. Mabel rolled her eyes and looked at them.

"I can't believe that even happened!" Dipper laughed.

"Guys!" Mabel whined.

"Those gnomes! Secretly the most dangerous creatures of the forest." Ford joked.

"GUYS!" Mabel and Stan yelled. Dipper and Ford stopped laughing to look at them.

"Mabel! You remember the gnomes right?" Dipper asked.

"I will at the commercial break." She grinned.

"But Mabel…" He whined, dragging out the last syllable of her name.

"But Dipper…" She mimicked, also dragging out the last syllable. Dipper groaned and rolled his eyes, looking back up at Ford. Ford nodded in understanding as he led Dipper to the vending machine.

"Couple of nerds those two." Stan remarked, watching them leave the room.

"Agreed." Mabel nodded, groaning when the commercial came on. "Staaaannn, they talked through the end of the episode."

"Those jerks! Let's give them a piece of our mind huh sweetie?" Stan replied, ruffling her hair. They headed to the vending machine, leaving the television on in the other room. They went into the elevator and descended down into the basement, ready to confront their twins.

Dipper and Ford were sitting across from each other, examining the journals the younger one had spent most of his high school career working on. They were opened to the page on the gnomes, adding in new details they'd uncovered from the day's expedition.

"Guys! You talked all the way through the end of the episode!" Mabel whined, dramatically flopping her entire body onto Dipper.

"Mabel! You're too heavy." Dipper squeaked out, embarrassed at his voice's fluctuations. Puberty had fixed his height but neglected his voice, which continued to crack.

"Are you calling me fat bro-bro?" Mabel asked in mock offense.

"Mabel!" Dipper complained. Ford smirked at the children.

"So, Ford, what was so important that it couldn't wait until the commercial break?" Stan asked, looking to his brother. Ford's eyes shone as he smiled in a way too childlike for his age.

"Oh Stan, it was amazing! We met up with the gnomes-" Ford began.

"Apparently they still remember Mabel's stinging rejection." Dipper teased. Mabel groaned and laid on the ground, covering her eyes with her arm.

"I was 12!" she moaned, Dipper laughed at her, nudging her with his foot.

"Rejection?" Ford asked.

"Long story short Mabel was so boy crazy she dated a bunch of gnomes disguised as a person and they tried to force her into a marriage." Dipper said, laughing at the memory.

"Yeah, funny for you short stuff. You weren't the one almost married to like a thousand gnomes." Mabel jabbed back.

"You have like an inch on me Mabel!" He responded. Just as the elder twin was about to speak, Stan held up a hand.

"Anyway, what were you saying Ford?" Stan asked.

"Right! So, it all began…" Ford began to recall the happenings, Dipper interjecting with a forgotten detail every now and again, acting out some of the fight scenes much to Mabel's amusement. Ducktective was forgotten as the two sets of twins told stories and laughed in the basement of an unassuming tourist trap.

 _Enjoy this while it lasts Pine Tree. Because soon, nothing will ever be the same for you or anyone else. Tick tock kid. Tick tock._

A shadowy creature stood in a dark clearing in the middle of the woods. The creature appeared to have no mass or color, save for two glowing red eyes in the center of its face. It looked up into the sky, watching the stars. What a lovely night for nightmares. If only its friend would hurry up and arrive. It hated waiting, especially when there were nightmares to weave and children to scare. Suddenly, a handsome man stepped out from behind a rather large tree. The man was incredibly tall, standing well over six foot, with pale skin that shone in the moonlight. Dark, red hair hung in front of golden eyes, peering at the creature before him.

"Lucifer, thought you'd never show." The creature growled, still looking in the sky.

"Boogey! I am wounded. Have I ever stood you up?" The man smiled. The creature did not dignify him with a response, instead looking him dead in the eye.

"How are the preparations coming along? Master grows restless." It said.

"Nearly complete. Soon he can return in a non-physical form to this dimension. Not much longer after that and he can take a physical form. Have you been working on that?" Lucifer questioned, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes. The physical form is nearly complete. When he arrives, he can appraise it for himself." It replied.

"Finally. After nearly seven years, the work is almost complete. I can't wait to give this place a makeover." Lucifer said, looking with disdain at some wildflowers. With a wave of his hand, the flowers were set ablaze and burned away.

"Yes. My nightmares will be all powerful. None will be able to escape my wrath. All of these mortals will finally be put in their place." It said, relishing the thought. Looking again at Lucifer, it turned to leave.

"Hey Boogey, where you going?" Lucifer asked.

"Nightmares do not create themselves. And for the last time, my name is Tad, not Boogey." The creature said, glaring at the man.

"Alright Strange. You have a good time with those nightmares." Lucifer said, giving a little wave. Hellfire surrounded him and he disappeared. The monster rolled its eyes as the shadows gave way to show a completely ordinary looking man, with dark hair and pale skin.

"Show off." Tad muttered, walking away from the clearing.


	5. Chapter 5

Dipper and Mabel finally retired for the night after talking to their grunkles for a few hours. Dipper looked at the clock by his bed in the attic room he still shared with Mabel. Midnight. Mabel had left the room to get ready for bed and Dipper took the opportunity to get changed. He discarded the shorts, socks, and the t-shirt, leaving him in his boxers. He threw the day's clothes in a corner and flopping onto the bed. He grabbed a book from the backpack by his bed and started reading another mystery novel.

"Hey bro-bro, the bathroom's free now. Brush your teeth and all that junk." Mabel said, taking the book from her brother. He whined in protest as he reached for the book.

"Mabel!" Dipper complained, pouting a little.

"Aww. Your face looks like a kitten." She teased, poking his nose.

"It does not! I'm 18 not 12." He responded, his face scrunching up.

"But you're still my adorable baby brother." She said, now poking his cheek.

"You're only older by 5 minutes." He grumbled.

"Still the oldest. Come on bro-bro. I'll give you back your Nancy Drew book after you get ready. Otherwise, you stay up until like 4 am then brush your teeth and leave the bathroom in a sleep-dazed disaster." Mabel lectured. Dipper blushed a bit. She had her pegged. He'd brush his teeth half asleep and always managed to get toothpaste everywhere.

"It's not Nancy Drew. You know I've finished those books." He said, sticking out his tongue at her. She mimicked him and blew a rasberry. He grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste, giving her a shove as he left the room.

He got to the bathroom and started brushing his teeth. He mulled over the day absently, looking at himself in the mirror. His eyes widened in shock and he nearly swallowed his toothpaste. The eyes staring back at him from the mirror were not his own. They were Bipper's, yellow with black vertical lines. He quickly spat out the toothpaste and looked up again. His eyes were back to their normal brown. He shook his head and rinsed his mouth. He must still be shaken up about seeing Bill's statue in the forest. He quickly left the bathroom and headed back to his shared room. As promised, Mabel returned the book to him. After a quick goodnight, the elder twin shut off the main lamp and cuddled up to her pig. Dipper turned on his flashlight and found he could not concentrate on the words in front of him. He groaned a little and set aside the book, trying to fall asleep. After tossing and turning for half an hour, sleep finally found him.

The dream started out perfectly normal. He was in the woods with Ford, exploring in hopes of finding something to investigate. Somehow, they ended up by Bill's statue again. Dipper looked up to comment on it to Ford, only to be met with empty air. He twisted around in his spot, trying to find him.

"Ford? Ford, where'd you go?" He called out, diving into the trees to search for his great uncle. After searching for what felt like hours, he ended up back at Bill's statue. He started panicking a little. Ford wouldn't leave him in the woods, right? He sat with his back to the statue, trying to think of where Ford went when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around, expecting to see his great uncle. But instead, he saw Bill's great eye staring at him. He screamed and scrambled away from him, trying to stand up and run but falling back down. The statue was gone and Bill stood in its place.

"Heya Pine Tree. Oh it's been ages hasn't it? How old are you now?" He asked, eyeing Dipper up like a meal.

"E-eighteen." Dipper managed to stutter out, frustrated by the fear in his voice.

"Eighteen. No wonder you're so tall. The sapling finally sprouted. But the baby face is still there." Bill replied, pinching his cheek. Dipper swatted the hand away, glaring at Bill. His eye turned up into what could only be described as a smirk.

"It's just a nightmare. Bill is gone." He muttered to himself, getting up from his place on the ground and turning to walk away. A hand grabbed his wrist and forced him to stay.

"But I'm not gone Pine Tree. I'm right here and ready to get my revenge." Bill said, his eye turning red to glare at the boy he held.

"Oh yeah? Well how are you gonna do that without a physical form you triangular dick?" Dipper retaliated, surprised by his words and even more so by the strong voice behind them. Bill just started laughing, closing his eye to wipe away an imaginary tear.

"Pine Tree you are hilarious! I guess some things never change huh? You don't have to worry your pretty head about that, I've got that covered. I'll have one soon enough and then you'll pay." He said, his voice growing darker.

"What? You're bluffing. There's no way. You don't have any allies in my realm and you have no way to get back. Besides, you don't have anyone to possess." Dipper shot back, glaring at the demon.

"You'd be surprised Pine Tree. And who says I just won't possess you again? We never did agree on an end time for that deal right puppet?" He smirked. The young man's eyes widened in horror and Bill started laughing. "It's just a joke kid. Relax. I am not about to relive that horrible experience. Please tell me you've fixed your abominable sleeping habits. Anyway, I'd love to keep talking but morning is coming and I don't wanna spoil the ending. Remember, reality's an illusion, the universe is a hologram, buy gold. Bye!" With a flash of light, Bill was gone and Dipper woke up with a scream.

"Dipper? Dipper are you okay? Was it another nightmare?" Mabel asked, looking at her twin in concern. He responded with a groan and a look at the clock. Six am.

"It was Bill again. Mabel, I think he's coming back." Dipper said


	6. Chapter 6

"So what you're getting at here is Bill appeared to you in a dream and said he was coming back?" Stan asked. Dipper nodded.

"And he said he was going to get revenge on you personally?" Ford added. Dipper nodded again.

"Nice job bro-bro. You somehow got an all powerful demonic being to plan the second apocalypse just to get revenge on you. I think you're the only person I know who could pull that off." Mabel teased.

"Mabel, this is serious!" The younger twin whined.

"Either way we have a huge question to answer: How did he return?" Ford asked.

"No kidding. We erased him with the memory gun." Mabel said.

"We did. And we erased me." Stan paused then continued. "And then you guys brought me back."

"We opened a gateway." Ford muttered to himself. His eyes grew wide and before anyone could move, he dashed off into the basement.

"Ford! Wait!" Dipper yelled, running after him. He ran down the steps after his great uncle and saw him looking through his notes.

"Great Uncle Ford?" The young man asked anxiously.

"Norway. Norway has the answers." The older man muttered, ignoring Dipper. He gathered up his research and put it in a brown satchel.

"What are you talking about? Ford, answer me!" Dipper yelled. His great uncle flinched and looked at his great nephew.

"I have to go to Norway. I found some cave drawings there. I need to go back, to prove my theory is right." He explained. Suddenly, he was already up the stairs, the young man following close behind. They ran past Mabel and Stan who immediately followed.

"What the hell is going on Sixer?" Stan shouted, glaring at his brother.

"I'm going back to Norway." Ford replied, opening the door to his room to start packing.

"What? Don't you remember what happened last time?" Stan exclaimed, eyes widening in shock.

"That doesn't matter. I have to go back." The elder shrugged, zipping up his suitcase and heading for the door. The younger blocked him.

"Not alone you're not. I'm coming with." He said, pushing past his twin to get a suitcase. He headed for his room, followed by the group.

"No. It's too dangerous. Besides, who'll look after the kids? And who knows how long this will take." Ford said, trying to reason with him. Stan ignored him at first, packing his bag.

"They're adults. They'll be fine. Besides, Soos will be here, running the Shack. And I don't care how long this takes. I worked for 30 years to get you back. I'm not losing you again." Stan replied fiercely, a strong conviction in his voice. Ford paused for a moment then gave a small smile to his twin.

"Then I hope you're ready to leave tonight." He said.

"Wait, you guys can't leave! Not now! Dipper has a major league cuckoo clock triangle hellbent on killing him and we just got here!" Mabel pleaded.

"Mabel, they're right. Ford said the answers are in Norway. They have to go. It might be our only chance to beat Bill at his own game." Dipper said, comforting his sister. He wouldn't admit it, but this whole thing with Bill scared him. Why was Bill out to get him personally? It wasn't just him that stopped Bill. They all did. So why did the triangle have it out for him?

"Bill can't get to you here. This Shack is still warded against him. Besides, we hope to be back before Bill can actually do anything beyond nightmares." Ford reassured the twins. "We have to buy tickets but we're taking the first flight out of here okay?" The twins nodded and they were ushered downstairs while their great uncles prepared to leave.

"Grunkle Stan, Grunkle Ford, please stay safe. I want an update every couple days just to know you're alive and well. And hurry home. We wanna see you before we leave." Mabel said, hugging the old men tightly. They were at the airport in Portland and the twins were just dropping off their great uncles. The men nodded in agreement and again, Mabel found herself cursing Bill. They only got one day together before he showed up and royally fucked it up. It just wasn't fair. She struggled to keep the tears at bay.

"See ya kids soon alright? No burning down the place." Stan joked. It was hard for him to keep his voice still as he grabbed both of the kids and pulled them in for a huge hug. Ford joined in and the group stood there like that for a moment. Then they pulled apart and Ford held Mabel by the shoulders, looking her square in the eye.

"Mabel, look after your brother. He needs you to be strong, to protect him." He told her in a stern voice.

"Oh, don't you worry about that. Nothing's gonna get past me!" Mabel grinned, putting a protective arm around Dipper. Ford smiled and turned to Dipper.

"Dipper, I know you must be scared. But you're smart and resourceful. You can get through this." He said, trying to give his great nephew some sense of comfort.

"I will. Just get back soon you guys. I can't live on Mabel's cooking for so long." He joked, earning a punch in the arm from his sister. The older men smiled at the kids and got in line to go through security. Dipper led Mabel outside. She kept on a brave face until they got outside and she started sobbing. He held her and comforted his sister. He'd be driving them home. He could keep his emotions in check long enough to get them back to Gravity Falls. A few tears pricked at his eyes and he quickly swiped them away, pulling himself away from his sister and walking with her back to the car.

Bill paced angrily in the Mindscape, waiting for his two servants to show up. He was eager to get into a physical body. Oh, when he got his hands on Pine Tree, the torture would never end. The kid would beg for death but he would never grant him that luxury. He would pay for what he did. Sure, Ford erased him from existence but Pine Tree ruined his plans, sticking his nose where it didn't belong. Too curious for his own damn good. If that kid could've just stuck to video games and mystery novels, everything would have worked out perfectly. He snapped out of his thoughts as he sensed two familiar presences.

"Lucifer. Strange." Bill greeted, summoning his cane and twirling it about.

"Master." The two replied, bowing low.

"Lucifer, are the preparations for the ceremony complete?" Bill asked.

"Almost Master. I need but one more thing: The life essence of a unicorn. Those bastards are hard to find." Lucifer said, glaring at the ground.

"Unicorn?" Bill asked. Then, his eye tilted up in what can only be described as a smirk. "I have a way to help you get that."

"What will you have me do?" Lucifer asked.

"Get close to the Pines twins, specifically Shooting Star. She has encountered unicorns before." He explained.

"I shall Master." Lucifer swore, bowing again.

"You can go." Bill dismissed him. With a flash of hellfire, the man disappeared. Then the triangle turned to the black, cloudy mass.

"And how is my physical form?" Bill asked.

"It is coming along quite well. Would you like to see it?" Strange asked. Bill nodded and Tad summoned up an image of a tall, human man. The body was tan and lean, with slight muscles. It had blond hair that flowed to just past the shoulders.

"Excellent." Bill said, nodding in approval. If he had a mouth, he'd be smiling.

"Master, if I may ask, why do you want a human body? Your triangle form is a sight to behold." Strange said, bowing low.

"Meatsacks like it more. They'll be more willing to make deals. Plus, I do not need Pine Tree recognizing me and stopping my plans before they begin. You are dismissed." The demon waved a hand at his servant. Silently, he disappeared, leaving Bill alone in the mindscape.

Yes, everything was going according to plan. And nothing was going to get in his way this time.


End file.
